Have you noticed that eating hot pot in summer — sweating through your clothes — actually feels good? But eating a popsicle in winter makes your stomach uncomfortable?

That’s not a coincidence. Your body knows what it should eat in each season. We just forgot how to listen.

TCM calls it “harmony between heaven and humans.” It means you and nature are one. In summer, the weather is hot. Your body is also hot. Your pores open. Sweat comes out. Eating warm foods at this time helps your body push out the cold that’s stored inside. So eating hot pot in summer? Actually pretty smart.

In winter, the weather is cold. Your body is also cold. Your pores close. Your yang qi hides deep inside. If you eat cold or raw foods now, it’s like pouring water on a fire — you damage your yang. Winter is actually the time for warm, nourishing foods to help your body store heat.

Spring is the season of growth. Everything sprouts. Your body’s qi also starts moving outward. In spring, eat “sprouting” things — bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, tender leafy greens. Eat less greasy food.

Autumn is the season of harvest. The air is dry. You get dry mouth, dry skin. In autumn, eat moistening foods — pears, snow fungus, lily bulbs, honey. Eat less spicy food.

You don’t need to memorize all this. One simple rule: eat what nature gives you in each season. Watermelons in summer. Pears in autumn. Radishes in winter. Eat with the seasons, and your body will feel comfortable.